Karachi:

Jaffer Express was not inside a tunnel, but under an open sky when it came under the siege of militants who persuaded the train’s security detail of hundreds, a police officer who survived the attack has revealed.

When he spoke on condition of anonymity to the BBC Urdu, the officer told his upset experience – from the moment of the bak team to his bold escape from captivity. He remembered how he and his colleagues fought back against the terrorists until their ammunition was depleted, leaving them defenseless and after the striker’s grace.

Controlling official claims that the train was inside a tunnel at the time of the attack, the officer said Jaffer Express was suddenly stopped by an explosion on the tracks. Moments later a barrier of rocket fire was raining down as militant swarmed in from the surrounding mountains.

“They were everywhere,” he said. “Hundreds of them, while we were only seven – five policemen and two Frontier Corps (FC) staff.”

By realizing the odds, the security team decided to get each ball count. The team fired single shots and tried to keep them in check and stretched the limited ammunition as much as they could.

For an hour and a half, they held their land and exchanged fire with attackers.

As their bullets ran out, the militants who felt their opportunity came from the mountains and took control of the train.

Once the security staff were muted, the militants forced passengers from the train, checked their identity cards and separate them based on ethnicity.

The terrorist threatened to carry out the passengers and burn the train if their claims were not met by the government while soldiers on board were tied.

As the night fell, most of the attackers withdrew, leaving a group of 20 to 25 men to protect the prisoners. In the dark, some hostages tried to escape, but were greeted with a hail of bullets. They opened fire and the people collapsed on the ground.

At dawn, FC reinforcements arrived and drew the focus of militants. Grabbing the opportunity made the officer and a few others a break for it.

“We ran with everything we had,” he remembered. “They fired at us and one of my companions was hit, but we didn’t stop. We continued to walk until we reached the railway station where FC staff led us to safety in Mach.”

Meanwhile, the survivors from Kapring also shared their traumatic experiences. A rescued passenger described the chaos inside the train as shots and explosions repeated around them.

Passengers tell trial

The passengers of Jaffar Express, who were released after being held hostage by terrorists, have shared their rising eyewitness accounts of the attack.

One of the rescued passengers described the chaotic scene during the assault and said passengers were forced to lie on the floor of the train for protection. According to the passenger, shots and explosions were heard as the attack unfolded.

The passenger also remembered that attackers ordered everyone to leave the train, although many were hesitant. “I took my kids and got off. I told myself that when they ask us to come down, we should listen, otherwise they would come in and start shooting,” the passenger explained.

The attack that targeted the train led to a tense and scary situation for passengers, many of whom feared for their lives.

The passengers of the attacked Jaffar Express, who were freed from the terrorists, have shared their eyewitnesses.

One of the rescued passengers told the test and said that during the attack there was chaos all around, and everyone was lying on the floor in the train to protect themselves. At that moment there were shots that were followed by explosions.

The passenger further explained that the terrorists ordered everyone to get off the train, but many were hesitant. He said, “I took my kids and got off. I told myself that when they asked us to come down, we should listen, otherwise they would come in and start shooting.”

He added, “We got off, and after that they left me, my kids and my wife and asked us not to look back.”

A senior passenger who was also saved stated that the terrorists instructed the children to get off the train and explained that there was no security either inside or outside the train.

The group fell down and fortunately was spared. They continued to go for hours and eventually fell into a channel, but after walking for about four hours they reached a safe place.

(With Input from News Desk)